Football

THE final whistle will blow on Goodison Park in May, consigning another iconic football ground to history.Everton start next season in their new £750million, 53,000-capacity Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.Goodison Park is one of the last old-school Premier League grounds but will host its final match in MayCredit: GettyPele played at Goodison during the 1966 World CupCredit: Hulton Archive – GettyAnd while the club plan a festival of farewell gigs, the Premier League match with Southampton on Sunday May 18 marks the end of football at Goodison and the Glwadys Street roar will be heard no more.The famous old ground, a venue for the 1966 World Cup and stage for Pele and Eusebio, will be demolished and redeveloped.But, like so many lost stadiums, the memories will remain along with nostalgic relics and reminders still treasured by misty-eyed fans.A lump of terracing, signs to stands that no longer exist or, in the case of Everton, statues to legends such as Dixie Dean provide evidence of footballing citadels that were once the 3pm heartbeat of a club but now lie vacant and silent.Here, SunSport takes you on a tour of the ‘ghost’ grounds of Great Britain.ARSENAL (Highbury 1913-2006)EASILY the most famous of all lost grounds, Highbury pretty much exists in all its glory – a long throw away from the Emirates.Preserved and turned into luxury apartments following Arsenal’s departure in 2006, it is still the subject of many a pilgrimage for football fans.Arsenal played at their famous old home, Highbury, until 2006Credit: Doug Seeburg – The SunThe ground in a trendy part of North London has been converted into luxury flatsCredit: AlamyJoin SUN CLUB for the Arsenal Files every Friday plusin-depth coverage and exclusives from The EmiratesThe listed East and West Stands remain, along with the Marble Halls, bust of Herbert Chapman and the players’ tunnel which saw Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane go toe to toe.The pitch, where the ashes of more than 500 supporters were scattered, is a garden – although the famous Highbury clock is now at the Emirates.10,000 attend test event at Everton’s new stadiumROTHERHAM (Millmoor 1925-2008)IF Highbury remains the most recognisable lost ground, then Millmoor is the most complete… in as much as it is still there and still used.Rotherham moved out 18 years ago but, incredibly, the stadium remains. And even more astonishingly, the pitch has been regularly cut and looked after ever since.The owners, scrap-metal merchants CF Booth, have recently revamped the dressing rooms, cleared the weeds and hired a groundsman so local teams can play there.The ‘new’ main stand remains a skeletal presence, unfinished after a series of setbacks including the appearance of Japanese knotweed, while the ‘Subbuteo’ floodlights are visible from the New York Stadium barely half a mile away.Rotherham’s Millmoor Stadium is still standing and is a community assetMillmoor’s floodlights can be seen from Rotherham’s current New York StadiumBRENTFORD (Griffin Park 1904-2020)THE last English ground to close, Griffin Park is still waiting for a housing development after almost five years.The stands have all been demolished and the pristine pitch is now rubble and wasteland.But the odd girder and stretch of terracing serve as a reminder of days gone by – along with the quirky club shop.Griffin Park was famous for having a pub on each of its four corners.The Griffin, The New Inn and The Brook remain in business despite the club’s move to the Gtech but the Princess Royal has closed down and is now the headquarters of the Armenian church.Brentford’s Griffin Park was the last English football ground to closeCredit: GettyGriffin Park has been demolished and is just wastelandGriffin Park was famous for having a pub on each corner – three of those four boozers are still in business, including the New InnSWANSEA (Vetch Field 1912-2005)THE Vetch was famous for its bizarre stands and gravity-defying floodlight.Now it’s a park with a children’s play area and allotments – a fitting tribute given the stadium’s name was spawned from the days when vetch was grown there.Despite leaving 20 years ago, there are still proud reminders of the ground Swansea fans lovingly called the Old Lady.The centre circle is marked in the park and signs to the Wing Stand and East Stand remain. The players’ entrance between two houses also exists, complete with a new sign to commemorate the pathway trodden by the likes of Leighton James and John Toshack.Swansea played at the Vetch Field for 93 years before leaving for the Liberty StadiumCredit: Getty Images – GettyA wall of the Vetch is still intact, complete with Swans badgeCredit: GettyBOLTON (Burnden Park 1895-1997)A GROUND more famous for having a Normid supermarket at one end towards the tail end of its time.It was the site of the Burnden Disaster in 1946, the fourth biggest stadium tragedy in British football history.An Asda superstore is there now, and there is a plaque just inside the door commemorating the 33 people who died in the Disaster.Bolton’s former ground Burnden Park, with the Normid Superstore taking up half the Embankment endCredit: AlamyAn ASDA store now occupies the site where Burnden wasCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The TimesA plaque commemorating the Burnden Disaster of 1946 is in the supermarketCredit: Bradley Ormesher – The TimesMIDDLESBROUGH (Ayresome Park 1903-1995)ANOTHER stadium of Archibald Leitch, along with Highbury, lost to football, Ayresome Park staged one of the greatest World Cup shocks when North Korea beat Italy 1-0 in 1966.On the outside, it is now a stereotypical housing estate but look a little closer and you will find an Aladdin’s Cave for any stadium enthusiast.Aside from the usual football-themed road names like The Turnstile and The Midfield, Middlesbrough actually put a lot of thought into preserving their beloved ground.Small discs run throughout the estate marking out the touchlines, the old Holgate End wall remains and there are sculptures scattered in gardens, such as a bronze football, a pair of football boots and a discarded jacket, showing where the centre circle, penalty spot and corner flag lay.Even North Korea’s momentous victory is preserved. A pair of cast-iron stud marks sit in the front garden of a house signifying the exact spot where Pak Doo-ik launched his shot in ’66. Ayresome Park was one of the stadiums used at the 1966 World Cup, playing host to North Korea’s famous win over ItalyCredit: AFPA bust of a pair of boots outside a house on the site of Ayresome ParkSmall discs mark out where the touchline wasWEST HAM (Boleyn Ground 1904-2016)FORGET the bells and whistles of the London Stadium, you will be hard pushed to find a football fan – Hammer or not – who doesn’t prefer the Boleyn.Upton Park was both infamous and iconic and, regardless of whether you turned up as a home or an away fan, it was guaranteed to be an experience.The Chicken Run, with its dynamite atmosphere, and Green Street, with its proper pubs and pie and mash shops, became part of footballing folklore – and the stadium’s demolition was a sad day for all.Not much remains now. The centre circle is marked, a new memorial garden has been opened and there are nods to legends such as John Lyall and John Charles in the names of the towering apartment blocks that replaced the stands.The Champions Statue, featuring Bobby Moore, Martin Peters, Geoff Hurst and Ray Wilson holding the World Cup aloft, still remains in its original site.Upton Park played host to West Ham for 112 years until they moved to the London StadiumCredit: PA:Press AssociationThe much-loved ground in the process of being demolished – it has now goneThe stadium has since been turned into flatsMILLWALL (The Den 1910-1993)THE mere mention of The Den used to strike fear into opposition players and fans alike but the ground has now been replaced by respectable housing. A plaque to mark the old gates used to sit on the corner of Cold Blow Lane and the new John Williams Close but it has mysteriously gone missing.Millwall moved out of their iconic The Den in 1993Credit: GettyThe plaque marking the old gates to Cold Blow Lane – which has now gone missingThe plaque-less tower and the housing estate that sits on the site of Cold Blow LaneBRIGHTON (Goldstone Ground 1902-1997; Withdean Stadium 1999-2011)SEAGULLS fans are still bitter about Brighton’s departure from the Goldstone Ground.Controversially sold without a home to go to, it forced the club into a groundshare with Gillingham and almost put them out of business.The Goldstone had a unique charm with its sloping East terrace, now it is a retail park with sofa shops and a Lidl. The club later spent just over a decade at the Withdean, an athletics venue that is still in use today.Brighton’s old Goldstone Ground with its sloping East terraceCredit: GettyIt is now something a Lidl bit different – a retail parkBrighton moved to the Withdean Stadium in 1999 – it is still an athletics venueLEICESTER (Filbert Street, 1891-2002)IF you look closely, there is still evidence of the Foxes’ existence at Filbert Street aside from the fact that club legend Gary Lineker has a road named after him.The ground was flattened in 2003 and, after a long delay, is now home to university buildings and halls of residence. But you can still see where the entrance to the East Stand existed in Burnmoor Street between the terraced houses.Leicester City’s Filbert Street, where Gary Lineker cut his footballing teethCredit: PALineker Road is next to the old site of Filbert StreetSUNDERLAND (Roker Park 1898-1997)THE famous Roker Roar was silenced in 1997 and the ground demolished a year later as the club moved to the Stadium of Light.In its place now stands a housing estate with street names such as Promotion Close and Midfield Drive. The centre circle is marked by a mini roundabout in Clockstand Close.Roker Park, which hosted 1966 World Cup matches, was Sunderland’s home until 1997Credit: AlamyThis mini roundabout is where the centre circle used to beSTOKE (Victoria Ground 1878-1997)THE Potters spent 119 years at the Vic yet, despite being demolished six months after leaving, it took a further 22 years for it to be redeveloped.Until then, you could still see the steps leading into the Boothen End where thousands flocked to worship Stanley Matthews, along with original walls, railings and gates.Now it is a modern housing estate named Victoria Park, bearing the names of club legends such as record scorer John Ritchie, player and manager Bob McGrory and former midfielder Paul Ware, who tragically died of a brain tumour in 2013.The Victoria Ground in the 1940s, when Stanley Matthews was Stoke’s starCredit: RexThe steps at the Boothen End were still visible 22 years after Stoke left the Victoria GroundCOVENTRY (Highfield Road 1899-2005)PROPER old-school ground, hemmed in by terraced homes and much loved by the fans.Under chairman Jimmy Hill, it became the first all-seater stadium in the country, now it is a housing estate.But the location of the pitch still vaguely exists in the form of a grass area with two goals signified by a pair of concrete footballs at either end in a jumpers-for-goalposts homage.The centre circle is marked by a plaque that was recently replaced after the original was vandalised and stolen.Coventry’s Highfield Road was the country’s first all-seater stadiumCredit: PAThese concrete footballs show the location of one of the Highfield Road goalsRUSHDEN AND DIAMONDS (Nene Park 1992-2011)IT was dubbed the non-league Wembley, a £30million stadium complex funded by Dr Martens chief Max Griggs.In the space of 19 years, Nene Park witnessed four promotions, two relegations and Rushden go bust.Neighbours Kettering then took over the venue and almost suffered the same fate due to spiralling costs.Now the stadium has been flattened and the only sign of life is a car boot sale every Sunday.Nene Park was dubbed the non-league Wembley in the 1990sCredit: GettyThe stadium fell into disrepairWALSALL (Fellows Park, 1896-1990)IT is said if you haven’t passed Walsall’s Bescot Stadium on the M6, then you’ve never been on an away day.But not every travelling fan knows the Saddlers’ previous ground, Fellows Park, existed a quarter of a mile away.The stadium witnessed the highs of an FA Cup victory against Arsenal in 1933 and the lows of a brick wall collapsing in 1984 which injured 24 Liverpool fans.It is now a Morrisons but there are pictures, a plaque and a football-themed clock at the entrance.Fellows Park is just a quarter of a mile from Walsall’s current groundCredit: XLike many old grounds, it is now a supermarketCredit: AlamyAFC WIMBLEDON (Plough Lane 1912-1991)FORCED to leave Plough Lane after the Hillsborough recommendations, the Crazy Gang have led a crazy existence since.Groundshares and franchises followed, along with a new club that finally returned to its spiritual home in 2020.But not to the original site – that’s now flats.Wimbledon left Plough Lane in 1991 and embarked on a nomadic existenceCredit: Hulton Archive – GettyThe Dons are back on Plough Lane – but not at the original siteCredit: GettyApartments on the site of the old Plough LaneCredit: News Group Newspapers LtdSOUTHAMPTON (The Dell, 1898-2001)MATT LE TISSIER scored the last competitive goal at The Dell.And, fittingly, his name adorns one of the apartment blocks that have been built in its place.Channon, Stokes and Wallace were also honoured by the town planners.Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier fittingly scored the final goal at The Dell in 2001Credit: News Group Newspapers LtdThe ground is now apartment blocks…Credit: Alamy… and one is called Le Tissier CourtCredit: AlamyREADING (Elm Park 1896-1998)ROYALS uprooted from Elm Park and the ground became a housing estate with the same name.After the final game against Norwich, club historian David Downs pitched a tent in the centre circle and slept the night on the playing surface.Elm Park was a Royal residence when Reading played thereCredit: AlamyIt is now a housing estateCredit: Jamie McPhilimey – The SunOXFORD (Manor Ground 1925-2001)THE U’s spent 86 years at the Manor Ground, not that you would know it if you visited now.The stadium is a private hospital and, apart from the word Manor in its title, there is no tribute to a ground that used to play host to John Aldridge and Ray Houghton.Oxford played at the Manor Ground until 2001Credit: AlamyThe former stadium is now a private hospitalCredit: AlamyCARDIFF (Ninian Park 1910-2009)The Bluebirds made the short flight from Ninian Park to the Cardiff City Stadium in 2009 – and took the old stadium gates with them.The former ground is now a housing estate, although the centre circle is marked and one of the roads is named after the club’s founder, Bartley Wilson.Cardiff’s former home, Ninian Park, in 2008, a year before they movedCredit: PAThe old gates from Ninian Park are now at the Cardiff City StadiumBRISTOL ROVERS (Eastville 1897-1986)BUILT right next to a gas holder, the smell was responsible for the nickname Gasheads.It was originally a derogatory dig by Bristol City fans but is now worn as a badge of honour by the Rovers faithful.Rovers moved out in 1986 due to financial problems and the stadium was demolished in 1997 and turned into an Ikea.Even so, one floodlight still remained for a further six years until the Swedish furniture giants decided it was getting a bit wobbly and took it down.Bristol Rovers’ former ground Eastville was built next to a gas holder – hence the cub’s nickname, the GasheadsCredit: AlamyRovers now have a flat-pack four – their old ground is an IkeaKETTERING (Rockingham Road 1897-2011)THIS ground was the envy of non-league teams. It had a 6,000 capacity, a main stand that would have looked at home in the Football League and giant floodlights that dominated the skyline.It also hosted FA Cup ties against Leeds and Fulham and was a home to managers Ron Atkinson and Paul Gascoigne.But it all went downhill after Kettering moved out in 2011. The club almost went out of business and Rockingham Road spent six years abandoned, with weeds covering the pitch and terraces.Despite attempts to return, the stadium was demolished in 2017 for housing, with Poppies Road the only obvious nod to its past.   Paul Gascoigne was briefly manager of Kettering at Rockingham RoadCredit: Times Newspapers LtdThe ground just before its demolition in 2017DARLINGTON (Darlington Arena 2003-12)THE white elephant of the North East. The £25million stadium was funded by former safe-cracker George Reynolds and had a 25,000-seater capacity…only it was restricted to 10,000 due to insufficient access roads.Within six months of opening, the cost of running had put the club into administration.They were forced out of business in 2012 and a phoenix club, now restored as Darlington FC, currently ply their trade in the Northern Premier League.The stadium was bought by National League rugby union club Darlington Mowden Park and Elton John played a gig there in 2008. Razorlight are rocking up this summer.LEYTON FC (Leyton Stadium 1881-2011)A HIDDEN gem in East London, Leyton FC are technically older than Orient, West Ham and Tottenham.At least they were until the non-league club was sadly dissolved in 2011. But their ground remains, albeit in a ramshackle state, behind the Hare and Hounds pub and an Indian restaurant.The stands still exist, seating intact but engulfed in weeds and with the roofs collapsing. While the goalposts – until recently – leaned in odd angles with the nets ripped.Leyton FC’s ground is looking ramshackle after the club left in 2011 More